London-based design studio Brinkworth crafts interiors for Madhappy store in Malibu.

Madhappy, a contemporary clothing brand rooted in optimism, has launched its next flagship store in Malibu, marking the brand’s fourth flagship location following its debut in West Hollywood, New York City, and Tokyo.

Located just off the coast of the Pacific Coast Highway adjacent to Malibu Point, the 2,400 square-foot brick-and-mortar space showcases the brand and build community through design, café, and conversation.

In partnership with London-based design studio Brinkworth (established in 1990, the award-winning company has delivered projects for clients including Nike, New Balance, The Ordinary, Aries, Sonos, Supreme, Rapha, Selfridges, Samsung, Adidas, Marni, R.A.D®, Ravensbourne University and the Tate), Madhappy Malibu builds upon the visual language first established at their previous spaces. This new perspective channels the tonality and light of the Malibu landscape in an expression of West Coast energy.

The space draws inspiration from the post-war Case Study Houses which defined California's architectural vernacular and mid-century design globally. Glass, steel and concrete; open-plan design for social interaction. A delicate play on form and colour, the space feels calm and curated yet spirited and inviting.

Reflecting the surrounding landscape of Cross Creek Ranch, elemental ruggedness is brought inside with a limestone surface framing the rails of apparel. Facing out of the full-length glass windows, the piece is in dialogue with the outside environment.

Madhappy’s pastel hues are saturated here in the California sunlight, with a signature blue floor anchoring the design and mirroring the sky outside. An inventive plantscape by LA-based interior plant design studio, Plant Provisions, goes further in dissolving the indoor-outdoor divide. With a deep appreciation of nature, the space creates a feeling of liberation.

The lounge space presents a new take on Madhappy’s conversation area, with curved blue sofas within stainless steel creating an inward-facing social space. Bespoke speakers by House Under Magic in Douglas fir are set within the laser-cut stone surface.

On the material selections for the scheme, Sonny Cant, Design Director, Brinkworth, said:

“Madhappy’s store in Cross Creek Ranch is set adjacent to Malibu Point, within a rugged, mountainous landscape. We directly referenced this by creating a huge rock wall in limestone in a similar tone, to frame the apparel display. We sourced the limestone itself and then hand-cut it to create this beautiful waney-edged form. We then lined it out in rotary brushed stainless steel, templated and laser-cut to follow the edge of the stone. There’s a nice meeting with the shadow gap of the two materials that come together – one quite natural and the other very man made.

"Dougles fir was used to line display and POS areas in the store, and in handmade speakers by House Under Magic. The wood has beautiful veining and patterning, and as a material, it’s just synonymous with North America.

"For the flooring, we used cementitious resin pigmented in Madhappy’s signature brand pastel blue, to strongly ground the space. For shelving, we used a brown freeform resin which has this lovely translucency to it and is a classic colour.

"The brushed stainless steel was used to wrap the Pantry café, with raised seams on all the joins, and for all of the rails. The bespoke sofa contrasts a stainless-steel carcass with soft, curved forms in blue fabric.

"The idea on this project was to be bold and intentional, doing one or two things really well, so the overall palette is restricted.

"All of the plaster work and paintwork is with a lime wash, bringing a bit of variance across the surface and a nice tactility. Inventive planting brings a sense of life to the space and echoes the outdoor environment.

"Finally, we used light as a material. The lighting within the space is quite warm and then this very cool white light comes in through the full-length windows from the sun. So there’s this beautiful, almost ombre effect that happens between the blue, the yellow and the white that mimics the meeting of land and sea on the Malibu coast.”

In contrast to this, Pantry, the brand’s café concept that first launched in West Hollywood, takes a sleek, curved metal form. A selection of local and global culinary partners come together to form a collaborative menu offered daily. These include Japanese-based café HOTEL DRUGS, Courage Bagels, Bianca bakery, Beverly Hills Juice, Cinnies cinnamon rolls and Softside ice cream.